By the end of this summer I'll be looking to sell both my bikes in order to buy a new or nearly new one. One bike I'm particularly interested in is the new Monster 1100 evo, I think it looks fantastic. But has the motor progressed in terms of reliability or ease of servicing? I'd be gutted to buy a new bike only to find it becoming as recalcitrant as my old multi. Do they start any better in cold weather? Are the valves still a fiddly pain in the ass to service? Have they worked out that the paint will stick better if you prime the metal first..?
I've never had a machanical failure in any of the Ducatis I've owned over the last 20 years! I've commuted, raced, and toured a variety of bikes with no issues at all! Sure some early electrics were a bit iffy, but you could say the same about Hondas frying reg/rec units in the 80's. Part of the pleasure for me is fettling with my bikes and keeping on top of stuff that may cause issues. Even my ST, which I'll admit isn't very loved has never failed me!
I hate fettling, that's why I'm asking. I'll take the rough with the smooth if it's an older bike, but I wouldn't expect to have the same problems on a new bike that I have had with the multi (the multi has a full service history, by the way). I'm talking about things like refusing to tickover properly, poor starting in cold weather, clocks misting up and failing, paint falling off, etc. If modern 2-valvers are still suffering with these 'characteristics', I'll give 'em a miss. In this day and age, and for the asking price, I expect decent levels of reliability and build quality.
Can't comment on the current Monsters. All has been good with my 2007 GT1000, just some paint flaking from the front of the sump (below starter motor). Might have been able to prevent this if I'd fitted a belly pan (couldn't find one for the GT).
Figaro, I know how you're feeling about the big air coolers. I vowed to only buy water coolers in future which have fans that can kick in after I was held up in heavy traffic in Budapest a couple of years back while touring my Multi and the engine got sooo hot it not only fried my legs but also fried the clutch fluid until the lever came back to the bars and I was effectively clutchless. After a day or so of waiting the clutch came back but then starting was difficult and tick over disappeared. If you aren't likely to face such traffic situations air coolers are fine.
I found my monster796 got hot pretty quick in stop start but nothing too daft. I think overall, the finish and reliability on Ducati rivals other bikes now, they are way beyond the issues that the brand was labelled with what is now many years ago. I think the M1100 Evo is an awesome bike, I prefer the underseat exhaust but the overall finish on ones I've seen they look great. Properly serviced, I can't see it's any more lacking in reliability than a rice bike unless you're unlucky. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
To alanp, I've had no problems with fragility, the engines are pretty bulletproof and love being thrashed. I love the way they make power, but it's the little issues that always let them down. Not in my experience they don't. Is 2003 many years ago? The last of the aircooled Multis still suffer some of the glitches the earlier bikes suffered from, and we're only talking a couple of years back. What I'm trying to find out is whether or not the 110 evo - which is essentially the same engine - still has the same foibles; foibles I don't think are acceptable in this day and age.
Have you ridden one Figaro? This thread interests me as I'm thinking along similar lines - very taken indeed with the Evo, and just waiting for them to depreciate a bit. Judging by the number of pre-Evo 1100s you see s/h, quite a few people must have chopped theirs in for the new one. Testers seem to have uniformly loved it: here's some I collated, lest of use - http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/b.../Ducati/Ducati-Monster-1100-Evo-2011-current/ Ducati Monster 1100 Evo review - Telegraph Ducati Monster 1100 Evo review | Ash On Bikes First ride: Ducati Monster 1100 Evo - Road Tests: First Rides - Visordown 2012 Ducati Monster 1100 Evo - Stay On The Black 2011 Ducati Monster 1100 EVO First Look - Motorcycle USA 2012 Ducati Monster 1100 EVO First Ride - Motorcycle USA DUCATI MONSTER 1100 EVO LAUNCH REPORT 2011 Ducati Monster 1100 EVO - Review
My ST2 has been mechanically fine, the only fly in the ointment was the reg/rec (a Japanese component) going the way of all flesh about two years ago. It is air and liquid cooled and she does get a bit flustered in slow traffic.
My ST2, it has to be said, was a lot better behaved than the fuglystrada I've got now. It certainly started and ticked over better. What I'm trying to find out is if the 1100evo will be the same. What about the Hyper 1100? Someone here must have one or t'other?
Figaro I do not understand what issues you are talking about? All 2V bikes start harder in cold including BMW and Honda. It is not Ducati issue it is purely engine design issue, compression to be exact. Easy fix is to fit much stronger battery. However saying that it starts harder but still starts so what is the problem there? Regarding valves well what issue is there? Service intervals are now 7.5k and that seems to have got it to the same level as jap 2V. Servicing of 2V bikes was never hard at all. Saying that I presume evo will be harder due to exhaust routing next to belts aka cans need to go off to even check belts. Better bike if you ask me would be 1100s. Especially that evo has the entire power band moved up hence makes a bit more bhp but has less gut down below and since when Ducati 2V motor was about peak power?
You've missed the point completely Luca. I'm not talking about characteristics, I'm talking about faults. Things like the bike refusing to start in winter, like it refusing to tick over properly - japanese bikes just don't do this, regardless of configuration or power - and other stuff like the lights being utter crap, instrument clusters failing and paint falling off the engines. Stuff that should and could have been fixed years ago. What I want to know is, am I going to have all these same issues that have plagued the pantah-derived engines, or have they finally fixed them. Or should I go to KTM for my kicks..?
With all that you mentioned maybe not KTM as well as well they had many issues just other issues. I might have been quite lucky but my 749 dash never misted, it started fine in winter. In fact all my bikes start fine in winter, SSie, carbed monster with FCR's (no choke so issue keeping it going for first few minutes) and carbed monster on stock carbs but with choke. Tick over in cold is even an issue I mean you have fast idle lever just crank it up a bit. My CBR600 I had for short while did not like cold tick over as well. Lights crap, have you tried some other bikes out there, fazer lights are so bad, worse then stock monster one for example. I think some of the issues you are mentioning are bike model specific not bike brand specific. I know for a fact KTM singles have crappy lights, superduke is not much better. The only good lights on KTM are on their off road touring bikes. All in all it is your choice get what gives you fun or what is a good all rounder what ever at the end you will be back on a Duc
Hi all Im new to Ducati ownership having jumped off the jap ship and bought a Monster 1100 evo, bit risque i felt but what the hay, time for a change. So far i have been very impressed with it. Looks fecking fantastic ( i stand in the garage with a cuppa for hours just looking at it ) handles better than any other bike ive owned and go`es really well for what i`d call an "old tech" engine. In reply to figaro, bad starting when weather is cold ( fixed by putting it on trickle charge if not ridden for more than a week ) poor, lumpy running for 2 to 3 miles till it warms up, random management lights coming on but go out the next time its started and a nasty habit of stalling on part throttle half way round a roundabout !!!!. DONT get me wrong, i LOVE IT.
The 1100 evo is a stonking bike to ride.... Just awesome. Have you seen the monster diesel special edition - based on the 1100 Evo with limited paint scheme, leather seat, owners plaque on the bike, yellow brembos..... It looks the biz and it's a limited production run too
I love the look of them, that's why I'm asking. And I love the way the aircooled engine throbs along. But while I'm prepared to put up with a few 'characteristics' on a cheap secondhand bike, I certainly won't put up with them on a brand new one. It's looking very much like I won't be getting an evo. Ducati have had absolutely eons to perfect this engine, but it sounds like it still has all the bad traits it's always had. Trusting it to luck is not something I'm prepared to do with a new bike purchase.
Had a letter this morning from Ducati UK. recalling some Monster evo`s for a fault in the rear wheel, i think where the spokes meet the bose. the wheel to be replaced so probably another 8+ week wait. . still love it !!!
Paint still comes off the engines, if they are left out in the weather. If I was buying a bike to ride all year round, in all weather conditions, I would not buy a Duke either, but I would not be without one as I have not ridden anything quiet like them, its passion, it's Italian, could you expect anything else....Buy a Jap bike leave it out in the rain and the snow, wash it when you get a few spare minutes, and use the power washer to speed up the process...then go into the garage and drool over the Duke and wish for the summer to come along.
